Bottle-capping machine.



B. F. GREENE.

BOTTLE `oAPPmG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OGT. 6, 1911. 1,057,235, v Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

6MM. SM/f B. E. GREENE.

4BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 6, 1911.

1,057,235, Patented Mar.25,1913.

2 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

wlTNEssEs /WD I (y f l /g 23 342 Q0 BY l ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. GREENE, OF SHERIDAN, PENNSYLVANIA.

` BOTTLE-CAPPING MACHINE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 6, 1911. Serial N o. 653,285.

Patented Mar.25,1913.

T 0 all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. GREENE,

a citizen of the Unitedl States of America,

residing at Sheridan, in the county of ILebanon and yState' of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in `Bottle Capping Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinfto the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to bottlel 'capping machines, and has for its object to provide -a machine ofsuch class in a mannerV as herein-` after setforth for conveniently capping bot-y tles with paper or other caps, particularly milkbottles". v v

Although the machine' is designed primarily for `use for ,the manually capping of milk bottles, yet it is to be understood that wherein it is found applicable.

Further'objects of the invention `are to the machine can be used for any'purpose provide a manually operated bottle capping machine, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, eilici'ent and convenient'in itsA use and inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter vmore specicallydescribed .and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings whereinis shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modilicatio-ns can. be'resorted to,v which come within the scope ofthe claim hereunto appended.

In describing ther invention in detail, ref` erence is had .to they accompanying drawings .wherein'like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view ofabottle capping 'machine .in accordance with this invention, showing the adaptation thereoi in connection with the vcapping of a milk bottle,'Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a bottle capping machine inaccordance vwith this invention, Fig; 3 is ato j plan view, Fig. sis'asectional detail, Fig. v5 is a top plan viewof a rack, and,'Figs. 6 and 7 are views of caps which can be employed with the machine.

' bottle 2 to be capped. The machine is' Referring to the drawings in detail, denotes a. support uponfwhich is mounted the mounted upon the top of the bottle 2, the machine being referred to vgenerally byithe reference. character3. The operator with one hand as at 4 grasps a portion of .the machine and with his other 'hand as at 5 forces inwardly the plunger element of the mastruction and arrangement is vshown in, Figi.' y

A' bottle capping machine in accordance with this invention includes a vcap-piece v6, adapted to `be -mounted upon and sur- -round the `top of the bottle 2. Formed integral with the upper portion of the cappiece 6 is a vertically disposed cylindrical plunger vchamber 7 into which a cap 8 or 9 isv fed in a manner as hereinafter set forth.

I The cap, when fed to the chamber 7, is positioned at the'lower port-ion thereof and in the path of a manually 'operated spring -controlled plunger 10. Formed integral with and projecting from the upper portion ofthe cylindricaly casing 7 which constitutes the plunger chamber is a sleeve 11 having an interi# lorlyarranged angular shoulder 12 intermediat'e the ends thereof. Extendingv through the sleeve 11 and connected to thel plunger chine to cap the bottle. The foregoing conhead. 10is avhollow plunger rod 13 having mounted in its upper end the shank 14 of. "an enlargedhandle 15.

Surrounding. the rod 13 and interposed between the handle 15 and the'shoulder 12 is a coiled compression spring 1 6,y the function of which is to re turn theA plunger head to inoperative Vposition when pressure is -relieved from the handle 15. The plunger head 10 is coiled to the handle 15' by a tie 'bar 17..-the latter having' its upper end counter-sunk in the handle 15.

The f inner portion of the plunger rod 13 upon its outer faceis formed with a rack 18, the function of `which .will be hereinafter referred to. .v

Extending at rightangleswith, respect to.

pending flange 28 integral with the support 19 engages the cap-piece 6 as clearly shown lin Fig. 2. The 4strap 26 engages the'CP'P,

piece 6 and also the casing 7.

Connected to the guides 20, 21 and having its lower end iush with the inner faces of .said guides is a vertically disposed hollow slotted as at 30 for vthe passage'of the protuberance on finger piece 31. When the form of cap as indicated by the reference character 9 is used, the member 29 is not slotted. The

-caps in the member 29 are fed upon the support 19 by gravity. and' in the path -of the feed slide 23, which when moved to the limit of its outward movement, allows the cap to fall' upon the support 19 so that when the feed slide 23 moves in the opposite direction, it will engage the ca and carry it to a position inthe casing 7 1n the path of the plungerhead 10. The cap is maintained in afhorizontal position within the casing 7 by a spring controlled support 32, which is readily moved to one side as the cap is forced downwardly by the plunger head 10 to enter the mouth ofthe bottle 2. The inner end of the slide 23 conforms in cont-our to the .edge of the cap andis also provided with a recess 33 for the reception of the protuberance 31 when the form of vcap as illustrated in Fig. 6 is employed. Thefeasing 7 is formed with a slot '34 for the 'entrance of the cap and a portion of the slide 23, the inward movement of the'slide being to such an extentthat lthe inner edge 321 of the slide will be flush with the inner face of the casing 7. .The slide 23 is operated in `one direction when the plunger rod 13 moves upwardly to position the cap inthe path of a plunger head 10 and said slide23 is operated in the opposite direction to allow of a cap falling .in the path of said slide when the plunger meshing with the rack 24: an

lng 7.

l rod 13 moves downwardly. The means for shifting the slidey 23 is operated by the movement of the plunger rod and said means consists of a pinion 35 ermanently dp carried on the inner end of a' shaft 36 which is mounted in a transversely-extendin bearing 37 fixed to andextending inwar ly from the guide 20'.' Carried upon the outer end of the'sh'aft 36, is a small sprocket wheel 38, connected by a chain`39to a small sprocket wheel 40 fixed to the outer end of a shaft 41, journaled in the upper portion of 'the cas- The shaft 41 carries a pinion 42 which engages with the rack 18 so, that when the plunger rod 13 moves down- When thewardly, the pinion 42 will be operated in one direction, actuating the shaft 41, imparting movement to the chain 39, driving the sprocket 38, rotating the shaft 36 and pinion 35, thereby shifting the slide 23 outwardly to such an extent, to allow of a cap falling upon the support 19 and in the pati of the inner end of the slide 23. When the plunger rod 18 moves upwardly due to the action of the spring 16, the pinion 42 is driven in an opposite direction, thereby operating the chain 39, sprocket 38, shaft 36 and pinions 35 in a direction to shift the slide 23 inwardly, so that the cap will be carried to a position in the casing. 7 inthe path of the plunger head 10, so when the latter moves downwardly, the cap will be forced into the mouth of the bottle.

When using the machine, it is placed in the position as shown in Fig. 1, that is ,to say, with the cap-piece 6 mounted upon the top of the bottle, the operatorl grasps the sleeve 11 with one hand and with his other` hand operating the plunger rod Y13 in one direction, the spring 13 operating the plunger in the opposite direction.

lVhat I claim is A bottle capping machine comprlslng a cap-piece for mounting upon the top of the bottle' to be capped, a plunger head casing projecting upwardly from said capp1ece,.a plunger rod casing projecting from said plunger head casing, said plunger head casing having a slot, means disposed at rlght angles with respect to said plunger head casing and in alinement with said slot for positioning caps within said casing in the path of a plunger head, aplunger head within said plunger head casing, a manually operated spring controlled plunger rod arranged Within said plunger rod casing for reciprocating the plunger head to force the cap in the mouth of a bottle, a combined guide and support projecting from said cap-piece for said means, said means including a longitudinal rack, a rack carried by the plunger rod, a shaft carried by the plunger head casing and provided with a pinion engaging the rack. on the plunger rod where- 

